Sudden death of my 9m old dalmation Rex

Question
Hello. I was given a mum & 4 kits (3wks) 2 weeks ago. The babies started eating well and mother rabbit seemed in perfect health. I spent a lot of time with them and mother became very friendly & would hop on my lap for a stroke.
I have them set up in a shed with lino floor and a box for a bed, plenty of sawdust bedding, water, lots of hay and copious amounts of pellets and museli. In such a short while I loved them very much, today I go to feed them and sit with them for my daily hour and when I looked through the shed window I saw mum laying on her side (she would normally hear me coming and initially run into her bed before gingerly coming out once she see it was me). The babies moved but she didn't- I had a horrible uneasy feeling so banged on the window- nothing! I'm absolutely devastasted and there are no signs at all they she was unwell.
The water bowl was dry but I'd recently brought a wall mounted bottle and wanted her to get used to that- the babies have been using it but I never dis witness her using it.
I know it's hard for u to give me an answer but I feel I need to have some sort of clue, I'm crying as I write I loved her dearly. Will the babies be affected? It pains my to think they could have been trying to feed from her whilst she was dead (she was stiff) I checked on her at 9pm last night and she was out and fine.
Thanks so much,
Carla

Answer
Hi,

I am sorry for your loss.

Unfortunately I can't tell you conclusively as only a vet doing an exam would be able to.

However, given your description I believe I know.  She ran out of water in the bowl, didn't drink from the bottle, and got dehydrated, went into shock, and died.

It's never a good idea to switch them unless absolutely necessary and even in those cases, you give them both just in case.  You put the bottle OVER the bowl so that they get used to proximity and will more naturally investigate the bottle.  But you always have water in the bowl.  Because drinking is so critical to them living.

Actually anything you do with rabbits, generally, ought to be done gradually.  changes in food.  Changes in routines when possible.  They are creatures of habit and routine.

People underestimate how dangerous dehydration is to rabbits.  Their gut works all the time and requires water.  the gut will take water from the body and can dehydrate the body quickly.  It can happen in under 24 hours.  They don't have a lot of reserves in them to tap, that's why.

As far as death goes, it's never great, but considering the ways people and animals die, a dehydration death is a more peaceful way to go, as it's close to drifting off to sleep and not waking up.

It was a fatal mistake in this case, but one not made on purpose.  You loved your bunny, I am sure she understood this.  If you had known the potential seriousness of what you were thinking you would not have done it this way.  Best thing you can do is raise her babies well.
Get kitten or puppy (small animal, etc) milk replacement formula and mix it with heavy cream instead of water.  Rabbit milk is extremely rich.  You might have to make the hole in the bottle nipple bigger to let this thicker mix out - use a clean pin to expand the hole.  You can feed 4-5 times a day as long as they want to drink it.  Don't squirt in their mouths as they could aspirate it and get it in their lungs (potentially deadly problem).  They will eat as long as they want.  You will need a heat source for them a couple feet overhead (like a 75-100 watt bulb - set up not to be a fire hazard).  In a lamp they can't get to or touch.  2-3 feet overhead should be good.  Lots of soft cotton towels and cotton tshirts to snuggle in and keep warm together, you can make a nest form with them.  I would avoid the sawdust as it is a lung irritant for small animals.  If they already are used to hay and pellets around, you can keep putting them in the nest and they will begin to investigate and nibble on them.  Around 4 weeks you can start gradually reducing the feedings and encouraging them to nibble on pellets and hay, so that by the end of 8 weeks, they may only be getting 1 feeding (or no feedings) a day by 8 weeks old.  But do it graudally!

I would also spend time on the House Rabbit Society web site: www.rabbit.org

and look up articles with the search terms: "newborn", "babies" and "orphan".  You'll find great articles that will help you raising the kits.

Again, sorry for your loss.